INTRODUCTION
I’ve been in the health and fitness business for close to 20 years. I’ve worked with many supplement and nutrition companies but none could fully deliver what I needed for both my patients and me. I’ve always considered myself to be ‘in great shape’, but there is never a time that more cannot be done for a diabetic, like me. I’ve always looked for products or systems that could lower my oxidative stress (high free radical levels) so that there would not be cumulative damage to my body by such stressors. There are options, but they are all allopathic in nature…meaning, they treat an existent problem yet do nothing to reduce/eliminate what is causing the problem. With diabetes and most other health issues, this is too late. I needed to find a system that could get to the cause of the oxidative stress.
My evolution led me to a program that I have now discovered is unmatched by any other in the industry for my health, and for yours. Period.
BACKGROUND
With ‘weight loss programs’, it’s easy to see ‘results’ by realizing smaller pant/dress sizes or seeing changes in pictures, and this is all great to see. However, what keeps us alive longer and healthier is more than what we see; it’s what is going on inside our bodies. The only way to see these true results are with objective criteria.
You see, health is not merely the absence of disease, but is a state of optimal well being. Read that again…how do we achieve a state of optimal well-being? We certainly cannot do so by being overweight, taking lots of medications, being inactive, eating unhealthy foods, ingesting toxic chemicals in our food, etc… We cannot do so by taking ‘magic pills’ with claims of extending our lives when we still continue to make life choices that counteract any good we do.
In order to achieve optimal well-being, we must do a lot of things. First and most importantly, we MUST improve what we eat. Our diet determines our body’s ability to function. We must lose weight. We must gain muscle. We must stop eating for recreation. We must stop ingesting harsh chemicals as much as possible. We must make sure our macronutrient ratio is proper. We must make sure we are ingesting the right vitamins and minerals to stave off oxidative stress and its deleterious effects. We ALL need a system that works. And, we must have a system that is fun and easy to stick with.
Toxins are stored in fat. Losing fat releases toxins. The body must be able to deal with this process appropriately. Only caloric restriction and intermittent fasting help the body address these issues. .
It’s easy to find a weight loss program. The problem is that health is hardly only about losing weight. Only one system gives us the program that optimizes our well-being. The problem with losing weight is actually losing all weight. Losing muscle weight in the process of losing fat weight is what occurs with most all weight loss programs and this is a serious concern. We should never sacrifice muscle weight in the process of losing fat weight. This helps us define the difference between body composition change and weight loss. We need body composition change (lose the fat and keep/gain the muscle) vs. weight loss (lose everything). In addition, every program MUST have a component that addresses detoxifying the body during the process of losing weight.
Now for the facts…
THE DATA AND EXPLANATIONS
I started on a particular 30 day body modification ‘Cleanse’ in late September 2015. After the ‘Cleanse’ was over, I continued with 2 shakes, 2 snacks, and 1 meal per day. I remain on this to this day due to its ease and convenience in addition to feeling amazing. I also incorporate 2 ‘fasting’ days per month (don’t stress…you aren’t entirely fasting but you are cleansing your body). Stopping this program is not a consideration when you’re firing on all cylinders! Please note that I started the program at about 228 pounds but I did not perform the Omron tests until about 1.5 weeks into the program…so, my results are even better than what you see below. To monitor my progress using objective criteria, I used an Omron HBF-514C. Although not 100% accurate, it is a great measurement tool and if tests are repeated on the same machine at the same times of the day, it is quite accurate.
So, on October 15, 2015, I took my first measurements and on February 5, 2016, I conducted my second test. These are the results followed by an explanation of the incredible changes. You can and should work to experience the same!
October 15, 2015 February 5, 2016
Body Weight 223.4 lbs 209.8lbs.
Body Fat % 24.2% 19%
BMI 29.5 27.7
Muscle % 35.3% 38.1%
Visceral Fat 12 10
Resting Caloric Need 2002 1925
Body Age 70 64
So, let’s start with just pure body weight change over 3.5 months…include the 5 pounds I lost before I even used the Omron. I lost 18.2 pounds…not too shabby for someone who wasn’t even looking to lose too much weight. I am 6’1″ with an athletic build.
My body fat reduced from 24.2% to 19%, a reduction of 5.2%. What does that mean in terms of fat weight loss. At 223.4 pounds, my body fat was 24.2%. That equates to 54 pounds of fat. At 19% of 209.8 pounds, that equates to 39.9 pounds…so, I lost 14 pounds of pure fat! Wow!
My BMI, or Body Mass Index, dropped from 29.5 to 27.7. Less and less emphasis has been put on the importance of BMI over the last few years as hip/waist ratio is now considered a better indicator of health as per the literature. Regardless, it dropped about two points and that’s movement in the right direction.
As previously discussed, the key to losing weight is holding your muscle percentage, and if possible, actually increasing your muscle weight. This is why I love following the science of caloric restriction and intermittent fasting. I gained in both areas!! This is unheard of! There are no other simple and effective ways to help you maintain or gain muscle weight while losing fat weight. The ability to just maintain muscle weight is amazing. At 223.4 pounds, I had 35.3% muscle, or 78.9 pounds of muscle weight. At 209.8 pounds, I have 38.1% muscle, or 80 pounds of muscle. I lost fat and GAINED muscle. Amazing! Now, the contrarian will state that I only gained one pound…however, that’s missing the point entirely. Let me reiterate for those type of people: I lost 14+ pounds of fat while holding/gaining muscle weight. In addition, that muscle is now moving around 18.2 pounds less of weight when I walk, jump, exercise, etc…think about the importance of that body composition change on your joints and metabolism. It’s no wonder I’ve gotten faster and stronger. Think about less toxins being held in the body in that fat that is no longer there. This is no way around this. This program works. We can prove it over and over again.
Visceral fat is not the fat you see when you look at someone. It’s the fat in your abdomen and what surrounds your organs. It’s a better indicator of fat in your bloodstream. This fat can lead to a host of diseases. You want this level under 9. It was 12 when I started and now I’m at 10…awesome…I cannot put a specific number on the amount of fat weight that was lost here but I figure it’s a few pounds.
Resting caloric need is just that…how many calories you need to maintain your health. This is accurate enough to determine the amount of calories you need to start with when you begin a caloric restriction program. Studies now show that the original 30% in caloric restriction is not necessary to obtain desired results. We can reduce by 12% provided we ingest the proper macronutrient ratio and have sufficient micronutrients. My drop in this shows simply that I have less mass to feed, so why eat more? I’m certainly not hungry all the time and I have more energy than ever with this program.
Body Age tells us the wear and tear on our bodies. I’ve been diabetic for over 35 years so it’s expected that my biological age is going to be far older than my chronological age. The fact that 65% of diabetics die from heart disease/stroke is due to the oxidative stress caused by blood sugar fluctuations. The key for a diabetic is to minimize blood sugar fluctuations and nothing in over 35 years of being diabetic has even come close to what caloric restriction and intermittent fasting have done for me. In fact, no healthcare provider has ever even touched on a specific nutrition system to help with blood sugar control. The typical ‘exercise’ and ‘follow a sliding scale for insulin dose’ is so archaic. The new guideline for diabetics recommends that ALL of us should be taking statins. Are you kidding me? This is a total concession by medical providers working with diabetics. It’s essentially admitting that they have no idea how to keep patients healthy so that they can avoid medications. Come on, can’t we do better than this? We deserve so much more.
I have so much conviction about what I am doing that I say every diabetic, insulin dependent and not, should be at least evaluating it. If you are diabetic or know one, I implore you to get them to look into helping themselves. Of course, make sure they advise their endocrinologist/healthcare provider to be certain that he/she is in the loop. When the doctor sees the impressive A1C, cholesterol, blood pressure, weight,and other changes, they’ll be interested in the science behind caloric restriction and intermittent fasting to help all their patients. Why wouldn’t they? Doctors are smart. They need to see the proof and we can deliver that. Most will be happy to offer their patients a system that can keep them healthy.
Anyway, sorry to digress… When I started, my biological age was 70. Now it’s at 64. Still lots of wear and tear…but I’m making big improvements here and this should continue. In effect, I’m getting younger. Those Sirtuins that are activated by the caloric restriction and intermittent fasting I am integrating are most definitely exerting their anti-aging effects. (There is ton of research in this area)
All these numbers tell the story of improved health. Sure, I look more ‘ripped’ in the gym. Sure, I am much stronger, leaner, fitter, and faster (my bi-monthly 5k runs have dropped by about one minute per mile). Sure, my short acting insulin (Novalog) need has reduced by 75%…16 units a day to 0-4 (I almost don’t need any short acting insulin anymore).
I am excited to share story with everyone because it is absolute proof that my health is improving. Just like one of my patients who told me that her cholesterol has dropped from 252 to 186 in 2 months with caloric restriction and intermittent fasting, so much can be said for working on your health…and all the gains can be measured through objective criteria.
Work to feel better and function at a more optimal level!
RECOMMENDATIONS
Bottom line: if you want to be healthier and have the best chance at warding off disease processes and living as long as possible, contact us about how we might be able to help you improve your health. Benefits include building more muscle, improving your energy levels, getting more fit, ‘clearing your head’, etc… We all need to be responsible for our own health. Waiting to be ill is too late. We either pay for it now or we’ll most certainly pay for it later. This is not a time for excuses…it’s a time to take a step forward.
Your positive experience will be like hundreds of thousands of others who have benefitted from the science behind caloric restriction and intermittent fasting. Again, every diabetic should evaluate implementing these programs (under medical supervision) and any person looking to change their body composition and be healthier needs to give this system 60-90 days to see results that will amaze them.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to comment below here on the blog or write us though our ‘contact us’ form on the website. The more people who benefit from improving their health, the more healthy our society will become and the less healthcare costs we will incur. It’s your life…now you can do something about it that works!
